In an abandoned ruin, a low-pitched voice suddenly spread around the area, barely noticeable.
With a terrified expression, one of them warned, "Shh! Keep quiet, or it will hear us," and continued deeper into the abandoned ruins.
Almost everyone disregarded the warning and asked in a low-pitched voice, "Does it really exist?" with a joking tone.
The other guys joked, "That's why we came here, to see our myth."
The initial guy, who wore a terrified expression, almost scolded, "Shh! Didn't I tell you we'll talk about this later?" His face etched with desperation to leave the ruins.
Patting the guy's shoulder who wore the terrified expression, another said calmly, "Don't worry, Explorer. It's our duty to protect you."
The explorer could hardly hold his breath and sneered, "You'll only save me if you stay alive," glancing toward the abandoned ruins. "Do you think it's a joke that nobody came here even though the crisis here is almost negligible?"
Seeing the expression and reaction of the explorer, all the guys held their breath, feeling the desperation in his voice. Soon their faces calmed down, and one of them sneered, "Explorer! I know it's risky here, but don't exaggerate the rumors."
Previously, the guy who patted the explorer interrupted, "Code 3, let's follow his rules here," glancing toward the explorer, seeing the dread of death in his eyes.
"But leader, I think we can handle it," another interjected, but the leader almost put his right index finger on his lips as silence descended in the ruins.
Glancing toward his six teammates who shared the sweat and danger in this difficult journey and toward the explorer, he added, "From here," and looking toward the uneasy and silent ruins, he commented, "I can feel the eerie atmosphere which has been waiting for us to fall into its trap. But we have to continue moving deeper."
But soon they noticed that the explorer wasn't moving and remained in the same position.
This time, Code 3 finally couldn't handle the nagging and asked in an icy tone, "Should I carry you on my shoulder?" All their focus shifted to the explorer.
It seemed like the explorer had finally made a firm decision. With determination, he said calmly, "Even if you kill me, I won't take a step from here."
Seeing this attitude, even Code 3 shut down his mouth and glanced toward the leader, where everyone else's attention also fell.
"I need an explanation," the leader said, narrowing his eyes. "Or even your mythical tales would pale in comparison to your death."
Just as the explorer opened his mouth to speak, a loud voice attracted their attention. "Save me!"
Hearing the voice, everyone present could almost gauge the situation: desperation, dread of death, exhaustion.
Soon the figure came into view, causing everyone to shudder and take a step back in fear. Unconsciously, a word escaped their mouths, "Demon!"
Among them, the explorer soon regained control of his body and shouted with his trembling voice, "W... We need to run," as he exhausted all energy in just one sentence. But his body wasn't a bit exhausted, seeing the momentum his leg exerted on the ground to run at full speed, unlike his speech.
All the players, along with the leader, didn't understand the situation properly. But given the speed of the explorer, they believed that this explorer's speed was almost above them, even though the explorer couldn't even defeat their weakest members. This situation alarmed the leader and their members, and they understood one thing properly: "We need to run," and chased the explorer while glancing toward the incapacitated guy, who was begging them to save him, with only one sentence ringing in their brains, "If you don't want to suffer inhumane torture."
Sometime later, the begging sound disappeared, and a shrill voice started to resound in the eerie ruins, making it even more dreadful. All of them were in a mess and couldn't even organize what was happening in this abandoned ruin and why the shrill voice was starting to come instead of begging.
"Alas! There was no one to answer."
But their fear indeed intensified instead of decreasing, and everyone's body was trembling, and suddenly Code3 begged, "Can anyone tell what's happening?" But suddenly, as its feet stumbled on a big block of rock, which caused it to lose balance and fall flatly and slide on the ground.
"Ahahah!" a scream came out his mouth.
Everyone unconsciously halted their movement to help, but the sudden ceasing of howling and shrill voices of incapacitated guy made them ignore Code3, and with a sorry face, they continued their movement.
"No!"
"Don't abandon me!"
But suddenly, as his voice abruptly resounded again, "Don't come near me!"
"Who are you?"
"Someone! Please save me!"
It didn't take long for these pleas to turn into miserable howls and screams.
Hearing the howling and shrill resounding voice, their speed increased exponentially, and even the explorer, as if injected with some boost, increased his speed.
Time continued to pass, and soon the explorer exited the eerie abandoned ruins. Behind him, the leader soon also emerged, followed by the first, second, third, and fourth players.
Just as the fifth player was about to exit the abandoned ruins, wearing a crazed smile, his footsteps abruptly halted. All his emotions cleared from his face, leaving only its constricting eyes, which indicated something horrible going to happen. Showing his back to his comrades and leader, he returned to where he had come from.
Meanwhile, the leader, the explorer, and all four players just watched with wide-opened eyes, not even dared to utter a word. Unconsciously, they slumped on the ground. "Ahh! My body is tearing apart," came out of everyone's mouths, showing that their bodies experienced a hellish torture as they lay on the ground.
It didn't take long for another scream to resound in the abandoned ruins, making them ignore the hellish torture their bodies had experienced.
They understood clearly that the fifth player was enduring inhuman torture. Glancing toward the explorer, they regretted their decision not to believe in him; this wouldn't have happened.
Leaving all this behind, they all stood up from the ground, supporting each other as they continued to move further away from the abandoned ruins. They maintained an absolute gloomy silence, as if someone had stolen their tongues.